Microplastics Now Inside Our Brains? Researchers Call for Global Emergency

The increase in human use of plastic has led to a grave issue of environmental pollution, including the release of microplastics into the air, water, soil, food, and even the human brain.

Small plastic particles, less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) in size, pose serious health and environmental issues, as they adversely affect human health and ecosystems.

Reports suggest that several scientific pieces of evidence support the argument that microplastics are accumulating in critical human organs, including the brain, leading researchers to call for more drastic measures to tackle plastic pollution.

Tiny shards and specks of plastic have been discovered in human lungs, placentas, reproductive organs, livers, kidneys, knee and elbow joints, blood vessels, and bone marrow.

Sedat Gundogdu, who studies microplastics at Cukurova University in Turkey, stated, "It is now imperative to declare a global emergency" to address plastic pollution.

Humans come into contact with microplastics through increased pollution in various means such as water, soil, or air.

A study that is currently undergoing peer review and was released online by the National Institutes of Health suggests an alarming rise in microplastics in brain samples.

Matthew Campen, the lead author of the study, a toxicologist, and professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of New Mexico, says that the researchers found an average of roughly 0.5% plastic by weight in brain samples taken in early 2024.

Campen said, "It's pretty alarming. There's much more plastic in our brains than I ever would have imagined or been comfortable with."